Chapter 1


Alexander McLean....27 years old, was standing in the middle of a dirt road in Oklahoma. It had been part of his life for as long as he could remember. His brown hair stood up on end, blonde at the top. Adjusting his sunglasses over his eyes, he kicked at a small pebble in front of him. He had been waiting for at least a half hour while his partner took the truck, getting some gas while the rest of the team milled about nearby. Papers fluttered in the breeze as Alex walked over to look at a data printout. He grinned at the readout.

"Looks like a good day today. The sky is talking already, look at those cloud tops." he said, nudging Nick in the arm. Nick, one of his closest friends in the team was 26.

"Dude, if this storm develops more....that would be so sweet. Remember that F2 we had the other day? That one was awesome." Nick grinned.

"You got hit by a 2x4 wooden plank, I don't think that's something to brag about." Alex laughed, pointing at the gauze on Nick's forehead.

"Ah, its all right...just five stitches. I got some nice pictures before I got knocked out cold. That thing go so close I could feel the truck being pulled into the suck zone." Nick giggled. Alex shook his head at him and walked away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. She was always late....always. Looking up at the sky...he saw the thunderstorm developing quite far from where the set of trucks and vans were positioned in the field. Lightning crackled loudly but he loved every minute of it, nothing best the sound of nature. The red pickup pulled in sideways, the tires squealing.

"About time you showed up." Alex growled as the truck skidded to a halt just inches from Nick's laptop propped up on the haystack nearby. A tall blonde woman stepped out, her white tank top dotted with grass stains and dust.

"Bullshit, freak show. I had a fucking flat tire about a half mile down the road." she snapped, She wore denim capri pants and sneakers that were so worn out that a hole formed in them and you could see her big toe sticking out. She didn't seem like she cared about her appearance, her wavy blonde hair hung loosely in her face. Alex smirked at her as she slammed the door to his truck...the one he had let her borrow. Brandy was not like other women he had met....she cursed and drank beer, arm wrestled and watched football.

"Brandy...you're a fine girl..." Nick sang softly as she walked by.

"I heard that." she snapped, her hand hitting him across the head. Nick always said he would be the first to have Brandy to himself, he was the type to bang first and ask questions later. Nick ate, drank, and slept sex....he was at that age where he didn't care what he did as long as he got laid once or twice a week. Fortunately, this had been a busy week for storms. The dry line spread over most of eastern Oklahoma and there was a line of thunderstorms developing, all of them knew it was not going to be a quiet day.

"She totally wants me." Nick snickered as Brandy took the readout that Alex was looking at a few moments ago and began to study it.

"Yeah, good luck with that. She's got daggers for you from what Brian said."

"Okay so I cheated on her, can we let that one go? I said I was sorry!" Nick said, throwing his hands up in the air, The wind picked up and blew his hair into his eyes.

"Nick, cheating constitutes that you were in a relationship. She finally agreed to go on a date with you, but you picked up a girl on the way there and had sex in the parking lot of the diner." Alex teased, playfully hitting him. The sky was slowly going dark and menacing, he knew they would have to move soon.

"All right, fair enough. You don't know what you're missing. College girls are the best." Nick smirked, sighing.

"Let's move, let's move!!! They issued a warning!" Brandy shouted as she ran past them, hopping into Alex's truck. Nick grabbed his laptop and paperwork, before jumping into his van. The van was painted with a large tornado on the side, clearly his own artwork. Alex knew Nick was talented at art...he often wondered why he was in the storm chasing field. He was glad to have him along as the cars pulled out of the field and raced down the road towards the storm, it was definitely going to be an interesting day.

Chapter 2

"Nick give me a reading on that funnel!" Brandy shouted into the radio on the truck as AJ drove. The instrument pack was in the bed of the truck and they raced down the highway to catch up with the funnel cloud that had formed.

"It's an F3....large rope on the ground....wind speeds are 175...base is a quarter of a mile wide." Nick replied.

"Very nice shape too." AJ commented, not meaning to look at Brandy as she shouted into the radio. She gave him the death glare and rolled her eyes.

"I meant the......I meant the tornado." AJ said. He didn't feel any attraction for her, at least he didn't think he did. Sure, she was pretty and could stand up for herself....but he just couldn't see himself with her. Hell, she hated Nick...he had absolutely no idea what she thought about him. They had been trying to place an instrument pack inside a tornado for a few months now, it had taken that long to even design one. Brandy was very intelligent....he didn't imagine they could have gotten so far without her.
"Pull the fuck over and get your goddamn head out of the clouds." Brandy snapped, jarring him out of his thoughts. He watched her as she jumped out and they readied the pack.

"Nick keep me updated." she said to him as he got out and started taking pictures. He watched the data on his laptop while Brandy and Alex got back inp the truck moments later.

"I think this time could be it..." Brandy said confidentally, grinning at him. She was pretty when she actually gave a damn about how she looked. The two of them put the pack in the middle of the road and pulled far enough away so that they could watch. As the twister approached, it tossed a tree into the pack and it toppled over, the silver sensors scattering on the road. A stream of curses flew out of her mouth as Brandy kicked the tire of the truck.

"Fucking son of a goddamn whore....." she screamed.

"Look, we still got a few more...." Alex offered when they drove away, the tornado dissipating.

"Jesus Christ, McLean. I hate this prissy life is grand attitude. Life sucks and then you die." Brandy commented. They were tired now, it being the end of the day and everyone was hungry. The team stopped at a small truck stop diner to eat and Nick shared a booth with Alex.

"Well, today was a success." Nick smiled, his mouth full of french fries drenched in ketchup.

"How the hell do you figure that one?" Alex asked, looking at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Nothing hit me in the head." Nick said matter of factly. Alex stared at him at first then cracked a smile and laughed. Working with Brandy was stressful enough, he had his fill of her for the day.

"Nick, I think you have been hit in the head one too many times, my friend."

"So when are you and Brandy gonna be getting hitched?" Nick joked. Alex threw a french fry at him and the two of them laughed.

"I will take that as a hell to the no."

"There is something about her I haven't figured out yet....but I don't see myself marrying that girl." Alex explained. Nick was busily staring at the girl who had just walked in. She was wearing a short denim skirt, a low cut halter top....and a cowboy hat.

"Keep your eyes in your head." Alex scolded in a whisper. The girl didn't look a day over 18, her brown hair halfway down her back. She walked past them and smiled, waving her fingers at the two men...Nick couldn't stop staring.

"Look, just because you want to become the 40 year old virgin....doesn't mean I have to. I'm totally hitting Legs over there." Nick whispered as he smiled like the cheshire cat, licking his lips.

"Whatever. Brandy is gonna kill you if she finds a girl in your van again." Alex said, sounding older than he felt. Admittedly he found the girl attractive but Nick liked anything with boobs and legs.

"For the record, Nick....I'm not a virgin." he added bitterly.

"Right....keep telling yourself that. That's why I always see you eye humping Brandy out in the field." Nick said as he stood up and walked over to the girl. He slid into her booth and immediately began to work his charm on her. The truth was, he wasn't sure what he wanted...but he knew that if that instrument pack worked...their storm chasing team would be able to do so much for many lives in Tornado Alley....and he wanted to be among the first. Love was the last thing on his mind.

Chapter 3

Nick ended up not getting laid that night by the young girl in the diner. Her boyfriend had arrived and quickly took care of Nick's advances.

"Well, Nicky...looks like you CAN'T make it through a day without getting hit in the head." Alex laughed when Nick sat down at their booth, scowling and watching the girl with her boyfriend.

"Technically it was my eye...." Nick argued, sighing.

"Maybe at least one of us will get a woman. You seem to be sweet on Brandy. " he said after a moment of silence.

"I don't think so..." Alex protested immediately, cutting him off. Nick's eyebrows wiggled a little as he watched Brandy studying the laptop in front of her, her hair still a mess but it was pinned up now. Alex looked too for a moment but Nick tapped his arm.

"I know you like her....its the way you look at her." he insisted.

"No way. There's something about Brandy but I can't put my finger on it." Alex replied, eating the last of his onion rings.

"She's hot." Nick whispered. Alex didn't agree or protest....he wasn't sure how he felt at this point. There was a connection between them but he didn't feel romantically linked to her at all. She was so into her work most of the time it was hard to get to know her at all. Brandy was a tough person to talk to, she didn't really let anybody in.

"Just talk to her, Alex. She's cool once you get to know her." Nick said, jarring him out of his thoughts. Alex had not been on the storm chasing team as long as Nick and Brandy had. He had been going to school to be a meteorologist but had been offered the storm chasing job and taken it right away. He loved every minute of it, being out in the action. They saw the sky outside the diner getting dark and it began thundering.

"We got a cell not far from here.....rotation is starting here....let's move, let's move!" Brandy said as she ran past them. Nick and Alex left money on the table for their bill and ran after her. Alex got into the truck and Brandy hopped into the passenger seat.

"So....how are you?" he asked suddenly, after they had been driving for a while. Brandy shot a look that burned on impact. He felt awkward and looked away from her, blushing slightly.

"Okaaaay then." Alex said, looking to the darkening sky.

"What's gotten into you lately?" Brandy asked.

"What do you mean?" Alex replied, his eyes narrowed.

"You have been acting all weird....and these secret discussions with Carter?" she pointed out.

"Why? Are you jealous?" Alex said without thinking. She became flustered and her ears turned pink to his shock and amusement....he laughed at her.

"N-No, I just wondered what was going on." she said finally.

"Absolutely nothing is going on. I just want to get to know you better." he told her, watching the road. Thunder crackled above them and it got darker as they went.

"Uh...guys?" Nick's voice came over the radio.

"Bullshit, freakshow. You're up to something....and if you think for one second that I'm going to fall for it, you're WRONG."

"I am not doing anything-"

"Guys...." Nick repeated.

"You men are all alike...you just want a quick fuck, don't you?" Brandy shouted. Alex was furious. There was no way he was like that. He was a one woman kind of guy....Nick was too, but he got bored quick. Alex always said Nick had the worst case of girl ADD he had ever seen.

"Hey you guys...." Nick's voice came over the radio again louder and more urgent than before.
"WHAT?!" Alex and Brandy shouted in unison.

"Uh....I just wondered if you wanted to, ah....chase this tornado or wait for the next one?" he said.

"SHIT!!! SHIT!!!" Alex shouted, punching his foot on the brake pedal. He looked to their left....there was a swirling monster on the ground a few hundred yards away. Clearly looked to be an F2.

"Turn around!" Brandy screamed, and the truck raced back the way they came, almost hitting Nick's van. The tires squealed as they raced towards the funnel, hoping that this one would be their big chance.

Chapter 4

"Get the pack set up Alex!" Brandy shouted as they parked in the middle of the highway. The twister was bearing down on them and her hair had come undone, her blonde bangs in her face. Alex hopped out and began pushing the buttons on the instrument pack rapidly but the tornado was closing in.

"Fuck....fuck...its coming! RUN!" he cursed. Brandy raced towards the pack but Alex grabbed her and practically threw her into the truck while she cursed him out. They raced down a dirt ditch, muddy water hitting the windows.

"Go back!!!" she screamed. The roar of the wind behind Alex's truck drowned her out as hail pelted the windshield.

"God damn it, I can't get out, it's too steep!" Alex muttered. Brandy was fretting over the lost pack and they heard Nick's voice over the radio.

"I lost visual, where did you guys go?" he asked, the CB crackling. Brandy didn't answer, she just scowled at Alex. Watching in the back, she saw the tornado split into two.

"We have sisters!" she said excitedly. The twin twisters came closer to the truck and Alex realized that they could no longer outrun them. He slammed his foot on the brake pedal and stopped as the tornadoes came at them.

"Oh, shit!" Brandy shouted when the wind howled around their small truck, spinning it but not picking it up. Alex and Brandy held onto anything that they could as the funnels seemed to dance around the truck in unison. They finally dissipated moments later and Nick's van pulled up, he ran over, fear in his eyes.
"Wow, did you see that?!" Alex exclaimed, climbing out of his side of the truck. Brandy was grinning broadly and she hugged him, the two of them excited.

"Yeah, it was amazing!" she exclaimed, and before she could say anymore she found herself kissing Alex....caught up in the moment. She wrapped her long arms around his neck as he returned the kiss, his lips pressed against hers.

"Wow...I feel like I need to put another quarter in the machine to view some of that." Nick commented, his eyes wide and a grin across his face. Brandy's face turned red and she stormed back to the truck, embarrassed but hiding the fact she was smiling.

"So....Alex McLean...you have succeeded in kissing Brandy Johnson...what are you going to do now?" Nick said, holding his hand as if there were a microphone attatched.

"I'm going to kick your ass if you don't shut up." Alex replied with a smirk.
"Whoa, whoa....okay...easy." Nick said, backing away with his hands in front of him. Alex wasn't sure what to think....Brandy had kissed him first. He had sensed a connection between the two of them and felt accomplished now that he had broken down part of the wall she constantly put around herself.

"So...." Alex said once the two of them were inside the truck again, neither of them moving.

"There's nothing to say." Brandy said coldly, not meeting his gaze. Alex was annoyed that once again she was in denial of what happened.

"You kissed me..."

"Listen. I'm here to do my goddamn job. This is not Saturday night at the frat house. I was caught up in the moment, that's it....so I suggest we drop this conversation and figure out what we will do since there are only two packs left." Brandy snapped coldly. Put off by this sudden outburst, Alex just looked away from her at the rain falling against his window.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I'm not sure what to think right now, ya know? It felt good....too good." Brandy said finally.

"Look, I understand if you want nothing to do with me, but you're making things pretty fucking confusing." Alex replied. Brandy didn't say anything else and just sighed. Alex's head was swimming....so many emotions flowing through him and he didn't know what else to do, but he leaned over and kissed her again. Brandy didn't resist...she deepened her exchange. He ran his hand through her hair and they intensified as the thunder boomed outside. Maybe this was meant to happen after all.

Chapter 5

"Brandy?" a voice crackled over the CB. She was not listening, she was moaning with pleasure....her head propped up against the door of the red truck.

"Alex?" the voice said more persistently.

"Oh god." Brandy whispered as Alex continued kissing her. He caressed her neck while undoing her bra with his other hand, it was not an easy feat. The windows were fogging up and the rain pounded against the windshield, thunder booming around them. Neither of them cared that only an hour ago they were fighting for their lives against mother nature...nothing else seemed to exist. Brandy's black lacy bra fell to the floor of the truck, followed by a pair of torn jeans. The truck wobbled a little bit with the sudden movement.

"Hello? Guys?" the voice on the CB said again. Brandy smirked and turned it off. Thunder boomed louder, lightning followed. It was storming pretty good outside by the sound of things. Alex heard his phone vibrate in his jeans pocket on the floor of the truck but didn't answer it....he straddled Brandy as they began to make love. Brandy didn't seem to mind anything he did so Alex continued.

"I wonder who was calling you..." she said as he pushed himself inside her. She gasped with satisfaction, letting him do anything he wanted.

"Probably Nick...he has nothing better to do." Alex whispered.

"He sounded like it was urgent.."

"It can wait, I'm sure."

"ALEX!" she squealed. He was ignoring her....the two of them entwined with passion. He could feel the truck move again. The rain was falling in sheets....but it didn't sound like any rain...it sounded like hail.
"That was Nick on the CB, wasn't it?" Alex said suddenly, while Brandy kissed his neck. She seemed to be under some sort of spell....Alex was surprised they even got this far...he always thought she hated him.

"Fuck him...you're with me..." Brandy snapped. The wind had picked up outside of the truck and the sky was dark, lightning flashed angrily.

"Brandy, something doesn't feel right." Alex continued. Her lips felt so soft on his chest, her hands tracing his stomach. It was then that they heard the familiar rumbling. Alex wiped at the steam on the windows, he could see a funnel not far away in the field next to them. The truck was parked in a dirt lot, the rain falling in heavy sheets.

"Shit!!!" Alex said as he climbed off of Brandy. The sudden movement caused her to hit her head on the glass window behind her. Alex looked for his pants but eventually gave up....If he was going to die now, it would have to be naked. Brandy turned on the CB to hear Nick's panicked voice over it.

"You guys better get out of there!!!"

Brandy turned to look out of the window and her eyes went wide.

"Fucking hell!" she swore as Alex fumbled with the car keys. The tornado was closing in on them and hail pounded the truck. How could she have been so weak.

"Nick! Give me a reading...." she said, acting as professional as she could possibly be.

"Where the hell were you? I have been pissing myself trying to get your attention on this damn thing!" his voice shouted over the CB.

"There was a...uh..there was a malfunction."

"Okay, well we have an F3 on the ground..." Nick continued steadily. There was no time to prepare a pack so Alex punched the gas pedal as hard as he could.

"Watch where you're going!" Brandy shouted, her arm covering her chest as she groped for her shirt. Alex was driving haphazardly, swerving across the road. He drove until they came to a motel in Wakita, pulling on his pants and dressing quickly before getting out of the truck.

"What were you guys doing back there?" Nick snapped at him, his blonde hair plastered to his head from the rain.

"Nothing. Everything is fine...that was a close call back there." Alex replied, acting like nothing had happened and a twister hadn't almost killed him for the second day in a row.

"Seriously, dude. You'd tell me if something was going on right?" Nick said softly as he spied Brandy get out of the truck. Her blonde hair fell around her shoulders, she kicked at some dirt and walked towards the small diner nearby.

"Of course." Alex lied, smiling. They all went inside to get out of the rain. Brandy had found herself a booth near the window as Alex wandered over slowly and sat down.

"I have nothing to say." she snapped, not meeting his gaze.

"I'm not gonna talk about it. So where do we stand now?" Alex asked, sliding into the booth. Nick was busy chatting up the attractive, busty waitress at the counter.

"You just said you wouldn't talk about it."

"Okay, fine."

"I'm not going to answer that question."

"You liked it too, didn't you?"

"Fuck you."

"Brandy, what are you so afraid of? I am not going to hurt you. I think you're a beautiful, intelligent woman. I'm not like Nick, I promise." Alex said softly, taking her hand in his...but she snatched it back.

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

"Just forget it...." Brandy said finally, getting up and walking to the bathroom. Alex watched her leave, sighing. He would never understand Brandy....but what was this feeling he got when he was with her? Love was the last thing on his mind as the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

"Why are women so complicated?" Nick asked after a while, appearing next to him.

"Hell if I know." Alex said, sighing as he picked apart a paper napkin. Whatever his feelings for Brandy were, he needed to work them out before things got too complicated.

Chapter 6

Brandy kicked at the tire on the red pickup and sighed, the wind rustling her blonde hair gently. She wiped at a stray tear in her eye and hated herself....she should have never let Alex get as close as he did. A tall dark haired man got out of a blue convertible in the space next to them. He studied the painting on Nick's van and smiled when he spotted her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Brandy shouted.

"You thought you could hide from me?" the man asked, chuckling softly.

"It worked." she scoffed.

"I knew you'd be around here...Carter's van is a dead giveaway. Saw it passing by on the highway." Brandy silently cursed Nick as the man continued.

"Why are you here?" she said, staring hard at him. His black hair fell in his face as he laughed. He was handsome, green eyes and a smile that would make most girls melt. Brandy knew better.

"I missed you so very much. A year is a long time to go without seeing my wife."

"Please, I don't want to do this. Not here." she protested, her brown eyes looking towards the diner. She saw Alex watching her through the window.

"Just come back home and you can have your job back at the station. We will forget all of this happened."

"No, I don't want to work behind a desk the rest of my life. I love being out in the field...free to do as I please." Brandy said, leaning on Nick's van and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Brandy?" she heard Alex calling her name. He came around the van, looking concerned.

"What is it?" she said softly. Alex looked at her strangely, noticing her tone. She was near tears and looked distressed. Brandy turned like she was about to yell but when Alex looked behind her nobody was there.

"Are you okay?" he asked. All he saw was a blue convertible driving away.

"I will be fine. Let's go inside, I'm hungry." Brandy said, walking past him towards the diner. Alex looked towards the road and followed her in.


"Damn, Brandy...you order half the menu?" Nick commented as he stared at the various plates of food.

"Shut the fuck up." Brandy said, stuffing pancakes in her mouth. Her heart was hurting and she wanted to fill it. Brandy didn't want them to find out about him....and now he was back. She had spent a year running and now had slept with Alex. All Brandy wanted was to study tornadoes on her own free will. She and Nick were doing just fine until Alex came along a few months ago.

"Seriously are you all right? What happened outside?" Alex asked in a concerned tone, sipping at his coffee. Nick looked very uncomfortable and was fidgeting in his seat like a small child.

"Nothing happened. Let's pay and get out of here, the tornadoes aren't going to wait for us!" Brandy said. She kept glancing at the window in case he came back, but Brandy was set on not being here when he did. She hoped to be far away by then.

"Dude something is up." Nick whispered once they all got outside. Brandy got into Alex's truck and sat there, running a hand through her blonde hair.

"I know....she looks upset."

"Maybe you didn't sex her good enough?" Nick joked, making a thrusting motion with his hips and laughing.

"Nick, there is more to women than that." Alex told him.

"Couldn't prove it by me."

"You have never been in love, have you?"

"Can't say that I have. Love is overrated." Nick said as he opened the door to his van and hopped in. Alex shook his head at him and walked to the truck. He got in and turned to Brandy, who was wiping her eyes. Alex had never seen Brandy show any emotions before, let alone cry.

"You want to talk about it?" he offered tentatively as he put on his seat belt.
"No. Don't get all preachy and shit on me because I don't fucking need it right now."

"Why are you so cold to me? Do you hate me or are you just too goddamn proud to let someone in?"

"I'm not arguing with you."

"Brandy, I'm trying to make this work....obviously you have feelings there and might be a bit confused about them. So you push me away..."

"You listen to me. It could never work between us. You don't want someone like me....you have no idea what I have been through in life. It's better if we just stay co workers." she yelled, her eyes watering again.

"That's all I am to you? A co worker? What happened to partners? Friends?" Alex shouted.

"Nick is my friend. Just leave me alone." she replied, facing the window as it began to rain again. Alex shook his head at her, frustrated. All he could think about was getting to know her and finding out what her intentions with him were if there were any at all.

Chapter 7

"You okay?"

"Do you have to follow me around like that? Are you that obsessed with me?" Brandy snapped when she saw Alex appear near her.

"You looked upset." he replied softly as she wiped her face.

"What do you care?"

"Brandy....cut the shitty attitude, okay? I am being sincere here and you're....you're biting my head off." Alex snapped back.

"Alex, you don't know anything about me. We had sex one time. It's not like we are dating or anything. Even if we were....I still wouldn't tell you." Brandy said as she walked away from him, her feet echoing on the floor. Alex went after her and grabbed her arm.

"You always have this wall up. Let me in. I won't hurt you....I swear." he promised softly. Alex looked at her and Brandy's brown eyes stared into his.

"We had sex....that's it....sex. Why is this so important to you?" she asked. Nick was watching from the corner booth with interest.

"Goddamn it, Brandy. I don't sleep with just anyone. Obviously we had something, a connection there." Alex pointed out.

"I didn't." she said coldly, not meeting his gaze.

"Is there something you're not telling me? Something that makes you act this way? Nick told me you weren't always so bitter." Alex said. She walked out without a reply....Nick following both of them. They drove in silence all afternoon, stopping at a motel to rest.

"Fucking Christ." Brandy muttered when she saw the Channel 8 news truck outside.

"They must be doing a story on the super cells we ran into earlier." Alex said. A tall, dark haired man was doing a report right in front of the motel and Brandy scowled.

"Alex....not here. Let's stay somewhere else." she snapped as she laid eyes upon the handsome green-eyed weatherman.

"This place is fine." Alex protested, parking the truck and getting out. Brandy followed, silently cursing under her breath.

"Brandy!"

"Who are you?" Alex asked. Nick strode over and shoved the weatherman suddenly....cursing at him.

"You son of a bitch!!!" he shouted.

"Get this loser off of me!"

"Nick, stop!!! He's not worth it!!!" Brandy shouted, running to them. Nick was fully engrossed in a scuffle as people watched in surprise. Alex held Nick back by his arms as he struggled.

"Fucking asshole...he has some nerve showing up here..." Nick screamed.

"I will teach you some manners, Carter." the weatherman sneered, moving towards him.

"Kevin!" Brandy said suddenly, and Alex turned to look at her.

"So you finally decided to come back home, have you? I missed you so very much."

"Don't fucking start, Richardson. I will never go back to your crappy station. I belong in the field and you know it."

"You can't run from me forever." Kevin told her. He went up to her and kissed her gently, she pushed him off. Alex was having a hard time controlling Nick, who was struggling.

"Get off of me, bro!"

"Nick, calm the hell down. He's not worth it. Who is he anyway?" Alex asked, staring at Kevin with disgust. He looked like the type of person that would smile in your face and stab you in the back.

"You don't know him? He is with the news station around here. Brandy used to work for him and got into field research." Nick explained.

"I didn't know she used to work in a weather station. What else is she hiding?" Alex asked....watching Brandy and Kevin arguing.

"I will NEVER go back to that shit hole you call a station." Brandy said, pushing Kevin away.

"You'd rather be here with these losers? We both know you will never get that thing up in the air. Especially with Carter on your team." Kevin said. He was in his 30s...but looked young for his age.
"Leave Nick out of it." Brandy demanded.

"I really must be going...we are tracking a storm east of here. I wish you would reconsider."

"She doesn't need you." Alex piped up. Kevin looked at him and laughed. As he walked away, he couldn't help wondering what Brandy's history with Kevin was.

Chapter 8


"Brandy?" Alex said, knocking on the door of her motel room.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Alex. I'm not in the mood." she shouted from behind the door.

"Well, at least she didn't call me freak show,"

Alex sighed and walked towards the soda machine at the end of the hall, got a Coke and made a U-turn. On his way back, he saw the window open a crack.

"Brandy, you gotta tell him what's going on. Tell him you don't want him in your life." Nick's voice said in a consoling way.

"I love him....as much as he pisses me off, I love him. I don't know what to do." Brandy said, sniffling.
"You're better off without that guy honestly. He's not good for you."


Alex felt his eyes watering. Nick was supposed to be his best friend and he was telling Brandy to shut him out even more. Gripping the soda can, he continued to his room and slammed the door, kicking the bed. He wasn't even sure why he was angry at all. Brandy was practically his boss, and he had slept with her. He didn't know what to think.

"Fucking Christ." he muttered, running a hand through his blonde streaked hair and sighing, flopping backwards onto the bed. The motel wasn't the fanciest place but it would do for the night. All Alex wanted was to get the goddamn pack in the air....then everything would finally pick up for them.



"Nick, its not that simple. This isn't like those random fuck buddies you meet along the way. This is love I'm talking about." Brandy scoffed, looking at Nick from across the room.

"I was in love this morning." he replied with a small smirk. Brandy shook her head, her blonde bangs falling in her face. Nick was so naïve when it came to the opposite sex.

"You were in love with who? That girl at the front desk? What was her name?"

"Uh.....Julie? Beth? I dunno. She had legs for days." Nick said wistfully.

"You don't know her name and you're in love?" Brandy questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure. I'm in love with her legs. Ya know....I picture them wrapped around my waist while I'm-" Nick continued.

"Okay...forget it Carter. I don't need that visual." she said.

"Look. All I'm saying is that you need to tell him you are done. Kevin is obsessed with you."

"But I love him, Nick."

"What about Alex?" Nick asked. Brandy sat still for a while, thinking. Things had gotten pretty complicated when Alex had joined their storm chasing team. He kept trying to break down the wall she had put up to keep him out and it was making her curious as to what her feelings were for him.

She had slept with him....now what?

"Uh....Brandy? Hellooooo...." Nick's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, Nick. I love Kevin. I married him for a reason, but I don't think I can run from him anymore. He doesn't understand I don't want to work in a fucking cubicle. I want to be free."

"Well you gotta tell Alex the truth." Nick said matter-of-factly, tapping his foot on the edge of the bed.

"And why should I? He's not my boyfriend or anything. Alex and I shared a kiss, it meant nothing to me." Brandy snapped.

"Look. I know the two of you did the horizontal shuffle, you don't need to lie to me. I may be blonde but I'm not THAT dumb." Nick said, standing up. He headed to the door and opened it as Brandy watched, scowling.

"Tell him. You owe him that much."

Brandy stared at the door after Nick left, thinking. She wished she had never let herself kiss Alex, never gotten involved with him. Now that Kevin was back, she wasn't sure what would happen next.



The next morning they set out for Sequoya, Oklahoma where the dry line was getting fired up again. The sky was darkening quickly and Brandy sat in the passenger seat of Alex's pickup truck in silence.

"Today is gonna be a good day, look at that momatus building. Gotta be spiking at 40,000." Alex said, trying to make small talk. She ignored him, playing with the frayed bottom of her black tank top.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked in frustration.

"I told you I didn't want to talk. If you're gonna start that tired ass argument again, you can pull the fuck over and I will ride with Carter." Brandy hissed. Alex rolled his eyes, studying the sky.

"So you can talk behind my back again?"

"What the fuck, Alex? Why are you listening on my conversations?"

"Guys..." Nick's voice came in over the CB.

"What, Nick?" Brandy asked. Alex shook his head....usually she was cold towards Nick as well, but all of a sudden they seemed like best friends.

"We got company."

Brandy turned to look and she could see his blue car following....

"Oh fucking hell."

This was not going to end well.

Chapter 9


Brandy practically shit herself when she saw his blue convertible pulling up behind them.

"Brandy, you want me to cut him off?" Nick asked over the CB. Brandy smirked, Nick was always protecting her like a big brother.

"No, I kinda want to know what the fuck he wants." she replied.

Kevin followed them for about five miles, Brandy was almost impressed. The three of them finally pulled over and Kevin followed suit.

"What do you want?" Brandy asked, storming over to him with her hands on her hips. Kevin had a camera crew with him, but they weren't filming....yet.

"I have a proposal for you. We'd like to do a story on your storm chasing team. We follow you around for a bit....and if you get the pack in the air, it could mean a lot of publicity, maybe even catch the eye of the grant committee?" Kevin smirked. Nick was shaking his head at him....if looks could kill, he might have breathed fire at him.

"Nick, back off." Brandy hissed, pushing him slightly. Nick calmed down and cracked his knuckles, watching the two talking.

"I still don't know who he is." Alex wondered, walking over to Nick.

"He's an asshole....Kevin Richardson. he works for the news station. Weatherman. Thinks his shit doesn't stink....If Brandy has any sense she'll tell him to fuck off." Nick scoffed.

"I've seen him on TV. He's supposed to be famous around here. Maybe this would be good for our work." Alex said as Nick made a face.

"You don't know how he operates. He doesn't want to help us. He wants something else."



Brandy and Kevin stood near his car, talking.

"Must be nice being able to afford a car like this, huh? The TV station paying you pretty good to stand and predict weather? Don't you miss being in the field?" she asked. Her blonde hair fell in her eyes, Kevin smiled at her. She was pretty even though she didn't give a damn.

"No, I prefer not to get myself killed. At least inside you don't need to worry about getting whacked by a two by four. And yes....I've seen Carter get hit in the head too many times to count. We could use him back at the station too. He was talented."

"He understands me, Kevin. I thought you did too. I belong in the field. Our work could help save so many lives. Maybe if things were different...." Brandy said, trailing off.

She and Nick had been working at the TV station for a few years until she had decided to start her own team. She remembered how Nick got into a fight with Kevin for leaving after she did, for withholding the information from him. Brandy had no desire to go back to her cubicle.

"I still love you, Brandy Johnson. You look great. I miss you a lot." Kevin said, his hand brushing against her cheek.

"Kevin....I'm not doing this....not here. So you just want to follow us around and film us, is that it? Like a documentary?" she said, pulling away. He saw her blushing and smiled, looked over her shoulder and saw Nick's expression. He was pissed and Kevin enjoyed every second.

Kevin- one. Nick- zero.

"Yes. Like a live documentary. We want to show our viewers what you storm chasers do out here." Kevin explained.

"You were one of us at one time, remember?" Brandy whispered, crossing her arms.


"That was the past. So what are you going to do? What's your answer?" Kevin retorted. He knew she was trying to intimidate him, but it wasn't going to work. He knew exactly how to work Brandy.

"Okay, you can follow us. But do not interfere in our work and do not start any drama, or you're DONE. You may be technically my husband but in my book you're as good as divorced." she snapped coldly.

Kevin headed back to his car and she to the truck, not speaking much after that.

"What just happened?" Alex asked.

"Shit is gonna hit the fan. Fucking Christ." Nick said, kicking the tire on his van. Alex got back into the red pickup and put on his seatbelt, facing Brandy.

"So what did that Kevin guy want?"

"He's following us with a camera crew, so no funny business, you hear me? This could be good for our team." Brandy said, looking out the window at the storm clouds that seemed so far away. Crackles of lightning and thunder echoed in the distance. Their day was far from over.....it was just beginning.

"You seem to know him." Alex said once they headed down the road once more, Brandy looking over a map and studying the sky.

"What makes you say that?"

"You guys were talking for a long time. Was he the one I saw you with back at the diner?"

"There you go again." Brandy hissed. She hated when Alex decided to be nosy. Especially when he smelled so good, she hated being angry and attracted to him at the same time. Her body wanted it but she knew he was off limits. Her husband was a few cars behind them....now was not the time to be foolish.


"What do you mean, there I go again? I'm so sorry I'm not Carter and you can't have a conversation with him." Alex shouted, rolling his eyes.

"That's not what I meant at all. I wasn't even talking to Nick about you. So don't even go there." Brandy replied.

"Oh, please. I don't know how to deal with you, Brandy. One minute there's all this fire and now we're back at square one. Did you fuck me just because you were bored, or what? What's really wrong with you? Are you that afraid to let someone in?" he asked. Brandy never answered him...she knew she couldn't keep things from him much longer....she just didn't know how to break it to him.


"Today's been a quiet day so far." Kevin said as they stopped to get gas.

"Yeah. Well we've had shitty luck since you slithered up." Nick snapped, slamming his gas tank closed and walking away, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Don't mind him, he's just cranky in general. I'm Alex."

"Nice to meet you. I hear you're pretty bright when it comes to storms. Maybe I could interview you?" Kevin asked. He figured Alex was neutral, maybe he could help him persuade Brandy into coming back.

It was worth a shot, wasn't it?